Is body fat % the same as your BMI?
Is body fat % the same as your BMI?





no. Body MASS index has to do with all of your mass, including bones, muscles and organs. Fat percentage is just the fat.
So if I'm 5'6 and 134 pds and my body fat is 26 is that really horrible?
Not really. You may be a "little" over the norm...but eh. It really depends upon your body type. Someone with naturally curvy hips, a big butt and big boobs is going to have a higher BFP than someone of the same height who has no boobs, no butt, and straight hips. Even if they are the same weight.
The only truly accurate measurement of BFP is the water method (where you sit on a sling and they lower you into the water and the machine calibrates your land weight against your float weight and measures how much fat you have--well, that's the easiest way to explain it).
BMI and BFP are all just numbers. You can use them to guide you, but I've seen way too many people get obsessive about them and it doesn't do them any good.
26% is a bit high actually (not BAD) even if there was a slight error.




That sounds normal and is fine.
For women, according to the American Council on Exercise, the acceptable body fat percentages are between 25-31%, so you are well within the 'acceptable' zone and just above the 'fitness' zone of 21-24%.
Your BMI is 21.6 and within the 'normal' category of 18.5-24.9.
Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once.
BMI is a meaningless number. It doesn't reflect lifestyle at all or differentiate between muscle mass and fat. It's basically bullshit.
Body fat percentage is a good measurable indicator of your health. A skinny-fat person whose weight is in the target range, but who has a high body fat percentage, will easily be differentiated from an athletic person whose weight is on the high side, but whose body fat is actually considered lean (15-19%).
No, its within the normal range, whic is up to 28 or so.
I used to weigh 122 and was like 27-28% body fat, yikes!
Now I'm probably 118-120 but my bodyfat/musle is closer to 20%.
MY BMI HASN'T CHANGED THE ENTIRE TIME! Its always 20.3-20.9. Does that make sense? BMI is meaningless. I used to be skinny-fat, now I'm fuckin cut. Hehe, not quite.
I'd like to lose 5 lbs of fat and put on 5 lb of muscle within the next few months. So I'll come out about the same weighwise, and BMI-wise, still.
"Have you ever been to American wedding? Where is the vodka, where's marinated herring?" - GB
"And do the cats give a shit? No, they do not. Why? Because they're cats."-from The Onion
Originally Posted by Mia M





Lol, no. If that were true, I'd have a BMI of 'dead'.
Look like a woman
Think like a man
Act like a lady
Work like a dog
- My Great Grandmother Bessie's Recipe for Success





Look like a woman
Think like a man
Act like a lady
Work like a dog
- My Great Grandmother Bessie's Recipe for Success
Really? That's really low





I've always had an insane muscle - fat ratio. Mentioned a couple times on this site. Mind you, last I checked was also when I was at the height of my training. I'm probably more around 15-16 now... which is stil not the same as BMI.
Look like a woman
Think like a man
Act like a lady
Work like a dog
- My Great Grandmother Bessie's Recipe for Success
Damn girl!! What do you do? That's impressive!





Heh. I was a bodybuilder when I was 15 up until about two years ago. I've actually taken dietary measures to STOP building muscle. I did a high-carb high-cardio low-protein diet for awhile to LOSE muscle on PURPOSE because I had so much people thought I was just thick. It sucked. People telling me to lose weight and I couldn't. I just had thick arms and legs from muscle. No joke. Sucky for me it was 'fluffy muscle' not tight toned rippling muscle... which is what I'd want.
Anyway!!!! This is just proof that no, BF% and BMI are in no way condusive to each other.
Edit: I just checked again and my BMI is 27.5Yeah. Such a great indicator there. Go by your % not your BMI fo healthy weight loss, please.
Look like a woman
Think like a man
Act like a lady
Work like a dog
- My Great Grandmother Bessie's Recipe for Success
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